Simple find/search function

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drfrogsplat
Posts: 11
Joined: 03 October 2014, 04:40

Simple find/search function

Post by drfrogsplat »

Quite often I want to be able to quickly search for a specific transaction, based on something I know about it.

What i really want is a search bar (like in Mail.app) where i can press cmd+F and type some a word to find matching transactions. I notice there's a Find... item (with shortcut cmd+F) in the Edit menu, but it's always greyed out.

I know this can be done via Advanced... filter but its a really clunky interface to find one transaction (it's very useful for getting a specific set of transactions, especially as a saved filter for regularly checking some set like unassigned or purchases by one person, but not simple for one-off searches).

e.g. compare trying to find when I bought a toaster from Kmart for a warranty claim

Currently:
- click advanced
- click +
- click add new condition
- click first field
- click "The name"
- click second field
- click "contains"
- click 3rd field
- type "kmart"
- click done

Ideally:
- cmd+F
- type "kmart" (or even "toaster" if I entered a useful comment at the time)
- press enter

I search for transactions quite a bit (for seeing how i categorised something similar to ensure consistency, to check if i've paid for something or received money from someone, looking for previous transactions with a vendor if i can't remember what the payment was for, checking how much something cost...). Sometimes I'll know the category (which is equally awkward to filter by), sometimes I'll know what I put in the comment or part of the 'name', and sometimes I have no idea so need to try a few things (which is even more clunky with the Advanced... filter)

A simple and useful search would be to match each word in a search string against all fields of transactions (text/category name/amounts/dates/etc) as "contains" matches. A better search would also allow allow specifying things like name:X or comment:Y or amount:Z for partial matches of each (see Mail.app for a nice implementation of this).
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Angeman
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Location: Toulouse, France
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Re: Simple find/search function

Post by Angeman »

There is a search field in the top right corner of the window (in the toolbar).
drfrogsplat
Posts: 11
Joined: 03 October 2014, 04:40

Re: Simple find/search function

Post by drfrogsplat »

ah... thanks! sorry have somehow removed it from my toolbar...

any chance of

1. hooking up the "Edit:Find" (cmd+F) menu item to the toolbar? (its always greyed out, even with the search bar back in my toolbar)
2. having transaction search match against categories too? (seems to be name & comment only)
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Angeman
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Posts: 2302
Joined: 28 December 2008, 21:28
Location: Toulouse, France
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Re: Simple find/search function

Post by Angeman »

drfrogsplat wrote:1. hooking up the "Edit:Find" (cmd+F) menu item to the toolbar? (its always greyed out, even with the search bar back in my toolbar)
Yes you're certainly right, I'll change that.
drfrogsplat wrote:2. having transaction search match against categories too? (seems to be name & comment only)
You can do that with the filters bar above the transactions list (in blue). The filters bar and the search field work together.
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